Culvert-cleaning hoe



F. M. BALSLEY.

' CULVERT CLEANING 1012. APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1919.

Patented May 3, 1921.

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UNITED sT'ArEs FREDERICK M. BAIiSLEY, 0F MADISON, WISCONSIN.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

Application filed sin-11 14, 1919. Serial No. 290,009.

Toallwhomitmaycome'm:

Be it known that I FREDERICK M. BALS- LEY a citizen of the Ilnited States, residing at Madison, county of Dane, and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Culvert-Cleaning Hoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in culvert cleaning hoes.

The object of my invention is to provide a' form of hoe which will fold, or swing in the direction of the shank or handle when it is being pushed into a culvert, or other cav- I ity from which material is to be withdrawn, and which will then swing into position to engage and withdraw such materia' while it is being drawn out. My im roved hoe is therefore adapted to be ushe into a culvert which has so nearly lled with gravel, sand or other material t at an ordinary hoe could not be inserted, but when withdrawn, my improved hoe o erates in exactly the same manner and wit the same efliciency as an ordinary hoe to remove such material as may be engaged.

In the drawings Fi re 1 is aside view of my improved hoe owing portions of the handle in longitudinal section and illustrating a handle composed of detachable or extensible sections the hoe blade being also illustrated by full lines in scrapi position, and by iot-- ted lines in a part'ia y folded" position.

Fig. 2 is a rear view'of my improved hoe with dotted .lines indicating a modified contour.

Like arts are identified by the same reference c aracters throughout both views.

.curves' downwardly,

.forwardl as shown in y p preferably flattened and enlarged at 2, the

side faces of the portions 2 being adapted to loosely fit between a pair of upwardly ears 3 carried by the hoe blade 4,: whereby t e hoe blade may besecured to the proj ectin for the blade of thehoe to limit its bac wardly ging movement upon the pivotal axis at 5. g

It will be observed that the bearings at 8 are located at a substantial distance be roved hoe comprises a shank 1,

also at a substantial distance from the lower mar in of the blade. By providing two bearings 8, spaced apart at each side ofthe center of the blade, the pivot pin 5, and the ears 3 are substantially relieved from twisting or cramping strains, and by locating the bearings 8 at a substantial distance below the upper margin of the blade, the resistance of the material to the'movement of the blade when the hoe is being withdrawn from a culvert will be borne largely by the arms 7 of the shank, and a-pivot pin pf comparat1vely cross section can therefore be used without danger of shearing. 1 y

The shank 1 is provided withan ordinary ferrule 10 to receive a handle This handle is preferably formed in sectlons, each of the inner sections having a screw threaded socket13 in its outerend, and the next sec- .tion having an axially projecting screw 14, adapted to fit said socket in engagement with the threads thereof. If the handle is formed of wood, the socketed portions will preferably be inclosed by a ferrule 16.

sections the hoe may be used in culverts of considerable length, and when used in short culverts the handle may be reduced in length in accordance with the requirements, and to iwoidhthe use of a handle of an unwieldy t is not material to my invention whether the blade 4 is of a general rectangular form, or whether its cuttingedge, i. e., its lower edgle, is straight, as-indicated by full, lines in ig. 2,'or curved, asindicated b dotted lines. It is also not essential t at the ,low the upper margin of'the blade 4, and

forked arms 7 should be used. If the shank l6 2 is itself curved downwardly and forwardly as shown at 18, in Fig. 2, to provide a stop in the vertical plane which includes the axis of the shank, it is merely'necessary thatthe shank should be provided with some form of stop to limit the backwardly swinging movement of the whole blade.

The mode of operation of my improved device will be readily understood from the" above description, taken in connection with pushed into a culvert, or'into a recess to be the illustration. 'When the hoe is being sufficient dimensions. If not, the blade will readily out. into the material after swinging to nearly a horizontal position.

After pushing the hoe into the culvert to a point where the blade is m position to engage and withdraw material, a pull upon the handle will cause the lower edge of the blade to engage the material, whereupon a continued pull upon the handle will cause the blade to swing upon the pivot pin 5,

until it engages the stop or stops earned by rearward extension curving downwardly I and forwardly, and adapted to serve as a stop to hold the blade in a normal scraping position, said shank being forked and adapted to bear upon the rear face of the blade at a plurality of points, at opposite sides of the center of the blade.

'a curved portion extending 2. A culvert cleaning hoe comprising a handle, a member attached thereto said member having a straight portion ad]acent the point of attachment with the handle and therefrom, a hoe blade pivotally attached to said straight portion and arranged to either fold against the handle or else to extend at right angles to said handle and to bear against the said curved portion.

3. A culvert cleaning hoe comprising a hoe blade having the center portion of its outer margin provided with a air of upwardly projecting cars, a Shani pivotally connected with said ears, and provided with a forwardly projecting handle receiving portion, said shank continuing rearwardly of said pivotal point and downwardly to form an integral bracing means for said hoe blade.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\ FREDERICK M. BALSLEY. Witnesses:

A. L. HAMBRECHT,

R. W. MoRoAN. 

